Zelenskyy says there are no divisions in Ukraine's negotiating team: "This is Russian narrative"

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denied a report by The Economist about alleged disagreements within Ukraine's negotiating team.

Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with Clash Report

Quote: "What The Economist says sounds quite offensive. I am doing everything I can to ensure that the various channels of communication between Ukrainians and Americans, or even between Russians and Ukrainians, are all in the same format."

Details: Zelenskyy added that The Economist was repeating a Russian narrative about divisions within the Ukrainian delegation during negotiations.

"The fact is that the Russians constantly want to divide them [the Ukrainian delegation – ed.]. I am afraid that The Economist has got a little confused, mistaking desire for reality. The Russians are constantly trying to do this [making claims about disagreements or contradictions within the Ukrainian delegation – ed.]," the president explained.

Zelenskyy recalled that Russia is demanding the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas in order to obtain easily what it has failed to achieve on the battlefield for years.

"A quick peace with a withdrawal from Donbas is precisely the Russians' idea of how to get Donbas quickly without losing Russian personnel. And a quick end to the war was actually our idea," the head of state said.

He also stressed that US President Donald Trump is strong enough to exert pressure on Russia.

Background:

• In mid-February, the British publication The Economist reported that disagreements had supposedly emerged within Ukraine's negotiating team. According to the report, some negotiators support Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, and favour a rapid agreement with Russia under US auspices, while others – a group associated with former Presidential Office head Andrii Yermak – are more cautious.
• Meanwhile, two-day trilateral peace talks involving Ukraine, the United States and Russia were taking place in Geneva, Switzerland.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!